Legal Dictionary

Cyberterrorism

Cyberterrorism (cyber terrorism) can be broadly or narrowly defined. Narrowly, cyberterrorism is a disruptive attack against someone's information systems for the primary purpose of creating alarm and panic. Cyberterrorism, as defined by Kevin G. Coleman of the Technolytics Institute, is “the premeditated use of disruptive activities, or the threat thereof, against computers and/or networks, with the intention to cause harm or further social, ideological, religious, political or similar objectives or to intimidate any person in furtherance of such objectives.” In other words, any malicious cyber-activity could be considered an act of cyberterrorism.